Direction-signal for motor-vehicles.



H. 0. JOHNSON. DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED 0501,1915.

f 1,218,944. Patented Mar. 13, 1917..

IN VEN TOR.

WITNESS. mmBQ W Q 1 a WITED STATE$ PATENT @FFICE.

HANS O. JOHNSON, 0F SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNQR OF ONE-THIRD 'IOCARL T. WENGARD, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

DIRECTION-SIGNAL FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

Application filed December 1, 1915. Serial No. 64,454.

To all whom it may concern:

it known that I, Haws O. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento, State of California, have invented certain he and useful Improvements in Direction- Signals for Motor-Vehicles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in signals mounted on motor vehicles for in dicating when the vehicle is about to stop or turn a corner, the signal itself being similar to that one shown in my pending application for patent filed March 11th, 1915, Serial Number 13,795, the present invention relating to a new and improved means for operating the signal. In order that the signal may be operated easily and quickly when desired, it is necessary to have some effective means for the purpose, and also this operating means must be capable of proper adjustment so that the signal will be thrown to the exact position desired in order to properly show the same and cause the illumination thereof at night. To this end I have provided an operating means having a definite limitation of movement and also an adjustment whereby the same can be fixed accurately to pull the signal to correct position, and furthermore, the operating lever is so positioned on the steering post of the vehicle as to render it capable of being thrown to different positions in a rapid and efficient manner.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure l is a plan view showing an outline of the frame of a motor vehicle with the steering post in position thereon, and my improved mechanism connected therewith.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the steering post showing the operating lever and the operating rod and adjustment mechanism in connection therewith;

Fig. 3 is a detached View of the operating lever.

Fig. at is a fragmentary view showing the adjustment.

Fig. 5 is an lever.

Fig. 6 is a view of a modification of the structure shown in Fig. 2, showing the operating means arranged on the side of the steering post instead of on the top thereof.

.Fig. 7 is afragmentary view of the signal showing its operating means.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings,'the numeral 1 designates the signal casing in which is hinged the signal 2 operable by the cable v3, which cable 3 connects with a projecting arm 3- on the pin 2 to which the signal is attached, such pin being pivotally mounted within the casing 1 and provided with a spring 2 which normally acts to hold the signal 2 within the casing 1.

The improved structure claimed in this application consists of the means for pulling on the cable 3 to operate the signal 2, which means is constructed, arranged, and operated as follows, viz:

Clamped to the steering postal of the vehicle, near the steering wheel 5, by means of a clamp 6, is a projecting supporting plate 7 having on its face a lug 8. Pivotally mounted on the plate 7, as at 9, is a lever 10 having a finger member 11 for operating end viewof the operating the same, such lever 10 adjacent its pivotal.

point 9 having a pair of projecting finger members 12 and 13 operable on each side of the lug 8 and arranged to engage the same to limit the movement of the said lever 10 in either direction.

The finger member 12 beyond its engaging. point with the lug 8 is bent outwardly, as at 14:, so as to clear the plane of the lug 8 to allow of the pull rod 15 extending clownwardly therefrom. This pull rod 15 at its lower end projects through a small collar 16 secured on a bell crank 17, there being a set screw 18 projecting through the collar 16 to fix the pull rod 15 at any desired position in such collar 16.

The bell crank 17 is mounted on a clamp 19 suitably connected with the steering post 4:, and is connected at its other end with the cable 3. The cable 3 has a turn buckle 20 inits length for adjustment purposes. A spring 21 is connected with the cable 3 and with the bracket 22 on the frame of the vehicle to hold the parts normally in that position which they assume when the signal 2 has been allowed to move back into its casing 1, in which position the finger member 12 is engaged with the lug 8.

In normal position the lever 10 lies parallel with the steering post l, and the finger member 12 is then in engagement with the lug 8. The action of the spring 21 is pulling against the cable 3, the bell crank 17 and pull rod 15 to hold the parts in this position. N hen in this position, the cable 3 has an amount of slack between its connection with the spring 21 and the arm 3 of the signal mechanism, and the spring 2 on the pin 2 of the signal 2 is normally holding said signal 2 within the casing 1.

Assuming now that the operator is desirous of throwing the signal 2 out of the casing 1 at right angles thereto, he presses on the finger member 11 which moves the lever 10 on its pivotal point 9. This action pulls on the pull rod 15 and on the bell crank 17 and pulls the cable 3 and extends the spring 21 to take up the slack in such cable and pullthe said signal 2 to open position. The saidhandle 10 is then held in this abnormal position against the pull of the spring 21 by reason oi the fact that the said handle member moves far enough on its pivotal point 9 to carry the point of connection between the rod 15 and finger member 12 to the opposite side of the said pivot 9 so that the pull of the spring holds the said'handle 10 in that abnormal position, the exact limit of movement being determined by the finger member 13 engaging the pin 8. W hen the use of the signal is past, the finger member 11 is grasped and the lever 10 returned to normal position shown in 'Fig. 2. This allows the spring 21 to again pull on the cable 3 to form the-slack between the spring 21 and arm 3*, whereupon the spring on the signal pin 2 throws the signal intonormal position within the casing 1. The action of these parts is required to be very exact for the reason that when the signal 2 moves outwardly it moves to a predetermined position.

This exactness of movement is arranged for by adjusting the pull rod 15 through the collar 16 and also by means of the turn buckle 20. \Vhen once adjusted the limiting finger members 12 and 13 control the movement of the parts.

In Fig. (3 I simply illustrate how the entire structure may be arranged on the side of the steering post i the numeral 10 designating the lever, the numeral 15 the pull rod, and the numeral 17 the bell crank.

From the foregoing description it will readily be seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfils the objects of the invention as set forth herein;

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

The combination with a pivoted signal and a cable for operating the signal, of means for drawing on the cable to operate the signal, such means comprising a support having a lug, a lever pivoted on the support and having a pair of finger members operble on each side of the lug and arranged to engage the lug to limit the movement of the lever, means interposed between the lever and the cable for drawing on the cable with the action of the lever, such latter. means comprising a pivoted bell crank connected at one end with the cable, a collar on the other end of the bell crank, and a pull" rod adjustably mounted through the collar and connected with the lever, asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I aliiX mv signature.

HANS o. Jo'I-iNsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

